“But I could have never imagined, in my wildest dreams, how my life was going to turn out.”

In 1953, a 27-year-old Hefner published the first issue of Playboy, which featured a nude centrefold of a young Marilyn Monroe. It didn’t have a date on the cover, because Hefner didn’t think there would be another issue.

In what he described to Hayes as a “pleasant surprise,” millions of men instantly flocked to the magazine, starting what he dubbed “a case for sexual freedom”.

“We wanted to say ‘nice girls like sex too’… back in the 1950s that was very revolutionary,” he told Hayes.

Hefner was all smiles during the interview. (60 Minutes) ()Hayes spoke to the Playboy founder in 2003. (60 Minutes) ()

In the years after the launch, Hefner established Playboy Enterprises, forging a multi-million dollar cultural behemoth.

Despite his success, he told Hayes that he “hadn’t become too jaded or sophisticated.”

“The reason for that is that is because I’ve managed to stay in touch with the boy who dreamed the dreams,” he said.

“I’m still very much the boy.”

And with a glint of energy and youthful spirit in his eye, Hefner told Hayes of his hopes for a long life comparable to his mother, who lived to 101.

“There’s a wonderful song that Sinatra did called ‘if you can survive to 105, think of all you’ve derived by just being alive.’”